- - Scottie Scheffler makes Ryder Cup history with 0-4 start

Field Level MediaSeptember 28, 2025 at 3:16 AM

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[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Sep 27, 2025; Bethpage, New York, USA; Team USA's Russell Henley and Team USA's Scottie Scheffler react on the 18th green during the foursomes on the second day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Mandatory Credit: Paul Childs-Reuters via Imagn Images (Paul Childs-Reuters via Imagn Images)

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler earned a dubious distinction when he and Bryson DeChambeau lost 3 and 2 to Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose in Saturday afternoon fourballs at the Ryder Cup.

Scheffler became the first player in modern Ryder Cup history (since 1979) to play in the first four sessions of the competition and go 0-4-0.

When a player starts poorly at a Ryder Cup, teams will often sit him for a session on Saturday, hoping for a reset. That was never an option for Scheffler, whose dominance of the sport since 2022 -- 19 PGA Tour wins, with four major championships and two Players Championships -- has prompted comparisons to Tiger Woods at his peak.

But also like Woods, Scheffler has been beatable in team play. He is now 0-6-2 across the past two Ryder Cups and 2-6-3 overall.

The Scheffler drought was a big reason why the Europeans hold a huge 11 1/2-4 1/2 lead over the United States. Scheffler tried to remain upbeat after he failed to win a single hole for his team in the afternoon match.

"Bryson and I did some good stuff out there. We were in a tough matchup today," Scheffler told a pool reporter. "Those guys played great. They made a ton of putts and, really, tip of a cap to them. They played better than we did."

United States captain Keegan Bradley said Friday that there was no reason to panic about Scheffler's performance. He had lost 5 and 3 in foursomes while paired with Russell Henley and 3 and 2 in fourball alongside J.J. Spaun.

Asked Saturday if he had any idea or explanation why Scheffler continued to struggle, Bradley gave a lengthy answer about how the Texan has been as a teammate. According to the captain, Henley told the team room that Scheffler has the weight of the world on his shoulders but was still looking after him.

"It would have been easy for guys to get pissed and feel bad for themselves and kind of mope around. Not a single person did that, and Scottie is at the top of that list," Bradley said.

"It hasn't been his time," European captain Luke Donald added. "Obviously match play, playing with a partner, it is different. You know, there's different scenarios. You have to rely a little bit on your partners as well. So you know, it's hard to do it all by yourself, but Scottie Scheffler is a champion."

Still, Scheffler has had more than his share of miscues.

Paired with Henley again for Saturday morning foursomes, Scheffler missed the green at No. 2 from 110 yards away. "Come on, Scottie, get it together!" a young woman called out after Europe's Robert MacIntyre birdied to take an early lead in the match.

At No. 18, MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland led 1 up, but the U.S. could still salvage half a point by winning the hole and tying the match. Scheffler sprayed his approach far right into a native area and some U.S. fans booed.

Bradley paired Scheffler with his other star player, DeChambeau, in the afternoon perhaps looking for a spark. Although Scheffler started the round with a pair of birdies, they didn't win the U.S. any holes as Rose caught fire and birdied six of the first eight.

Scheffler drove into the trees at No. 7 and came up short with his second shot, leaving himself a very awkward stance near the side of a bunker. The ensuing chip rolled 20 feet away from the hole.

He also had unlucky moments. Scheffler nearly dunked his approach at No. 10, but the ball bounced off the base of the flagstick and rolled all the way off the green.

"I've been out there with Scottie, he's played great," Bradley said. "He flew one in the hole today and it popped out and came off the green. We've had some wacky stuff go on."

Bradley's trust in Scheffler hasn't wavered. The captain has him going up against Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (3-0-1 this week) in Sunday singles, a showdown of the two best players in the world, even if Scheffler hasn't played like the best this week.

--Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media

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